Saturday, 30 April 2016

Democratic Renewal

Voting to Leave the European Union is simply a switch which starts the many steps that it will take to become an Independent Sovereign Nation again. Once the Leave vote has succeeded, the Civil Service will need time to get its copies of FlexCit (The Market Solution) off their bookshelves and start to plan for its implementation. Then an Article 50 notification will need to be made giving a further 24 months to negotiate the exit deal that protects the United Kingdom's membership of the single market and its access to trade and which at the same time serves the best interests of the people of the United Kingdom. I do not expect that we will have left the European Union until maybe June 2019.In addition to the external factors that need to be dealt with in Leaving the European Union, there are also internal issues that need to be addressed. Not the least of these is Democratic Renewal which is illustrated in The Harrogate Agenda.The basic premise is that there is no point in taking back power from the European Union only to return them to the same bureaucracy, the same institutions and the same political class that gave them away in the first place. No politician should ever again be able to give 'cast iron guarantees' (Copyright David Cameron) only to renege on that guarantee when the mood suits them.It is important to stress that the Harrogate Agenda demands can be implemented concurrently with the Article 50 negotiations being carried out externally.The demands of the Harrogate Agenda, written into Flexcit (The Market Solution) are as follows:1. Recognition of Our Sovereignty: The peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland comprise the ultimate authority of their nations and are the source of all political power. That fact shall be recognised by the Crown and the Governments of our nations and our Parliaments and Assemblies2. Real Local Democracy: The foundation of our democracy shall be the counties (or other local units as may be defined). These shall become constitutional bodies exercising under the control of their peoples all powers of legislation, taxation and administration not specifically granted to the national government3. Separation of Powers: The executive shall be separated from the legislature. To that effect, Prime Ministers shall be elected by popular vote; they shall appoint their own ministers, with the approval of Parliament, to assist in the exercise of such powers as may be granted to them by the sovereign people of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; no Prime Minister or their ministers shall be members of parliament or any legislative assembly4. The People's Consent: No Law, Treaty, or Government decision shall be taken without the consent of the majority of the people, by positive vote if so demanded and that none shall continue to have effect when that consent is withdrawn by the majority of the people5. No taxation or spending without consent: No Tax, Charge or Levy shall be imposed, nor any public spending authorised, nor any sum borrowed by any national or local government except with the express approval of the majority of the people, renewed annually on presentation of a budget which shall first have been approved by their respective legislatures6. A Constitutional Convention: Parliament, once members of the executive are excluded, must hold a constitutional convention to draw up a definitive codified constitution for the peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It shall recognise their sovereign status and their inherent, inalienable rights and which shall be subject to their approval.I personally believe that number 3 above should be implemented as quickly as feasibly possible after a Leave vote. At present, political parties whip their members into the 'correct' lobby with threats to their careers if they do not do so. That threat would immediately cease if their careers were dependent on the people and not on their political party or party leader.The 'Payroll' vote (ministers, parliamentary private secretaries and the like) represent their party not the electorate. Labour voters in Tatton (Gideon Osborne's constituency) or even Leave campaigners in Witney (David Cameron's constituency) are NOT represented by their member.Mr Cameron would have to stand for election for Prime Minister in the same way as a General Secretary of a Union does so at present. Anyone could stand; Conservative, Labour, SNP etc and the best PERSON in the opinion of the electorate would be elected. That person could then appoint to their cabinet whoever they liked provided that those nominees would be subject to approval by a select committee of the House of Commons which would then have to be approved by the whole House. Prime Ministers and Ministers would then have to attend parliament to answer questions from a now independent and therefore reinvigorated legislature.We cannot allow a position where a Prime Minister can give their word in advance to a foreign leader that the United Kingdom would become involved in a military expedition and railroad their word through the House of Commons against the will of the electorate (as in Iraq and Syria). Vote to regain YOUR powerVote to ensure that no Parliament nor leader can ever again go against YOUR will and YOUR interestVote to make ALL politicians YOUR democratic and legislative servantsVote to make politicians ASK the electorate for permission or consent to do what they proposeVote for YOUR powerVote to Leave the European Union